Electrically heated mitten

ABSTRACT

A mitten for covering the hand of a user which has a length of electrical resistance ribbon positioned only adjacent the fingertips of the wearer&#39;&#39;s hand to supply and concentrate heat thereat. The ribbon is electrically connected to a pouch secured on the wrist portion and a small storage battery for supplying electricity to the ribbon to create the heat is contained within the pouch.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Stanley Arron 3323 Old Town Road, Bridgeport, Conn. 6603 [21] Appl. No. 886,708 [22] Filed Dec. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 [54] ELECTRICALLY HEATED MITTEN 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

52 us. c1 219/211, 128/402, 219/527, 2/158 [51] 1105b 3/36 [50] 219/211, 212, 527-529, 549; 338/212; 128/402; 2/158, 159

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,569,666 3/1971 Murphy et al. 219/211 2,277,772 3/1942 Mari cit 219/211 2,298,298 10/1942 .loyetal... 219/211 3,555,203 5/1951 Ramsey 219/211 3,079,486 2/1963 Winchell 219/528 3,293,405 12/1966 Costanzo 219/211 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,845 6/1957 Italy 219/211 Primary Examiner-Velodymyr Y. Mayewsky Attorney-Johnson 81. Kline ABSTRACT: A mitten for covering the hand of a user which has a length of electrical resistance ribbon positioned only adjacent the fingertips of the wearer's hand to supply and concentrate heat thereat. The ribbon is electrically connected to a pouch secured on the wrist portion and a small storage battery for supplying electricity to the ribbon to create the heat is con tained within the pouch.

ELECTRICALLY HEATED MIT'IEN The present invention relates to the art of electrically heated garments that supplies heat externally to the body of the user. Specifically the present garment is a mitten adapted to cover the wearers hand with the thumb being contained within a thumb compartment while the fingers have a common compartment. While it has heretofore been suggested to provide additional heat to a hand covering, such heretofore known devices have not been completely satisfactory. One difficulty has arisen through the attempt to provide heat throughout the whole hand area. Thus, such mittens tended not only to be somewhat bulky but also to interfere with the wearer's normal use of his hand. Moreover, by providing heat throughout substantially all of the mitten a relatively large quantity of heat is required which necessitated a correspondingly large source of electric power which accordingly decreased the portability of the heated apparel and/or the convenience in using it. a

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hand covering in which heat is applied only to a small portion of the user's hand but in which that portion is extremely physiologically responsive to the heat to thereby obtain the maximum utilization of the heat.

Another object of the present invention is to achieve the above object for an extended period even when a small storage battery that is capable of being conveniently carried is utilized. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrically heated mitten in which the heating element is located only at the portion of the mitten normally located at the hand-responsive portion and which does not interfere with the normal use of the hand.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a mitten which is formed to provide a thumb portion and a finger compartment. The mitten may be of conventional construction, such as knitted. tubular material and formed to provide a compartment for receiving the four fingers and a thumb compartment. Secured on the inner surface of the front part of the finger compartment is a heating element of the type disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 804,148, filed Mar. 4, 1969. Wires are connected to the ends of the heating element and are directed over the back of the mitten to a battery pouch that is secured on the wrist portion of the mitten.

With a battery positioned within the pouch electricity may accordingly be conductedto the electric-resistance ribbonof the heating element to produce heat which is applied externally to the users hand.

In accordance with the present invention the electric-resistance ribbon is of relatively short length and is positioned to provide localized heat to the user's hand. Specifically, the ribs bon is positioned so that it normally underlies the fingertip portions of the four fingers in the finger compartment. It has been found that this portion of the hand is more sensitive and responsive to environmental temperature and thus tends to be the part of the hand which feels colder first. Moreover, heat applied to this portion appears to produce more substantial physiological effect than if applied to other less sensitive areas of the hand. Heat applied to the fingertip portions thus produces a maximum physiological effect and in addition heats that portion of the: hand which normally is initially responsive to cold. By heatingonly this localized area, a substantial effect is produced by only a small amount of heat which enables a small storage battery to be employed but yet produce heat for a substantial period.

It is preferred that the mitten be somewhat larger than the user's hand and of a flexible construction and in normal use the positioning of the heating element causes the fingertips to bear thereagainst. However, the user may relatively shift the fingers in the mitten to position the heating element away from the fingertips so that they cannot interfere with the use of the fingertips. Moreover, if it is desired to apply heat slightly further down on the fingers, the hand may be shifted in the mitten so that heat may be applied adjacent the last joint on the fingers.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

' In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view of the front part of the electrically heated mitten of the present invention with the mitten being turned inside out and with portions being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the front of the mitten with fingers being shown in outline at their normal position therein.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial views similar to FIG. 2 showing different positions of the fingers and the heating element.

Referring to the drawing, the electric mitten of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and may be formed of a length of tubular knitted material having one end secured as by stitching 11 to close it to thereby form a finger compartment 12. A tubular thumb compartment 13 has one end closed and its open other end secured as by stitching 14 onto the front part 15 of the mitten. Such a mitten is commercially available and the particular details of construction of the mitten are relatively unessential to the present invention it being, however, understood that the mitten is somewhat loose on the users hand so that at least the fingers are capable of shifting position within the finger compartment 12. Also if desired, the mitten may be made'of other and different material and may have another mitten placed thereover.

The inner surface of the front part of the mitten which engages the front of the user's hand has secured thereon a heating element generally indicated by the reference numeral 16. The element includes a length of electric-resistance ribbon 17 secured between two pieces of fabric 18 and 19 with the fabric extending outwardly widthwise, beyond the ribbon. A length of bias tape 20 overlies the electric ribbon and fabric 18 and 19. A double line line of parallel stitching 21 passes through the tape 20 andv fabric 18 and 19 and the front part of the ribbon to secure the tape, fabric and ribbon to the front part of the mitten. If desired, a sheet of insulating plastic material 22 may be positioned beneath the fabric 18 and held in place by the stitching 21 to decrease heat loss through the front part of the mitten.

The tape 20 extends around the edge of the front part and along the back portion to substantially the wrist portion 23 of the mitten with the stitching 21 securing the tape to the mitten. The tape 20 forms a channel'for containing a pair of conductingwires 24 which are connected to the ends of the ribbon 17.

At the wrist portion 23 of the mitten there is secured a battery-containing pouch 25 in which a small battery 26, such as a size D cell, which is preferably rechargeable, is positioned. The pouch includes a metallic contact 28 to which an end of one wire 24 is electrically connected to enable connection of the wire to the bottom of the battery. The other end of the battery is also adaptedto be electrically'connected to a contact 29-which is secured on a detachable. flap 30; The contact 29 includes a detachable connector 31 that is positioned on the other side of the flap and is adapted to be detachably connected to a mating connector 32 to which the end of the other wire 24 'is secured. Accordingly, by positioning the battery 26 within the battery pouch 25 and connecting the mating connectors 31 and 32 together with the flap closed, the two wires 24 will be connected across the battery and hence provide electrical energy to the ribbon 17. It is understood that the other ends of the wires 24 are connected to opposite ends of the ribbon 17 so as to form a series circuit with the battery.

The pouch 25 is preferably formed of flexible material such as simulated leather with cloth backing and is secured to the wrist portion as by stitching at 33.

Shown in FIG. 2 is a view of the mitten in use with the outer portion of the users fingers being shown in the position which they normally assume in the finger compartment 12. In this position, it will be understood thatthe heating element 16 is somewhat arcuately curved to conform to the outline of the ends of the fingers, generally indicated by the reference numeral 34 so that the tip portions 35 of the fingers overlie the element to be in engagement therewith. The ribbon 17 extends only for the extent shown, namely across the fingertips and thus only supplies heat at this location. Thus, in this position the heat produced by the heating ribbon 17 is applied to the tip portions of the fingers and this is the only portion where the heat is produced by the heating ribbon. The heat is accordingly localized and specifically is applied to the tips of the users fingers which are normally the portions of the hand which become the coldest first and also which are quite sensitive to temperature.

If desired, as shown in FIG. 3, the user may adjust the mitten so that the heating element lies somewhat below the tips to engage the area of the fingers approximately to the end joints. Shown in FIG. 4 is another position of the heating element with respect to the users fingers and in this position the user may adjust the mitten by relatively extending the mitten and withdrawing the hand to have the heating element be beyond the fingertips. Normally, in this position the mating connectors 31 and 32 are disengaged so that heat is not being supplied and it will be understood that the use of the hand is unimpaired by the heating element contacting the fingers.

In the positions of the fingers shown with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3 it will be understood that normally the fingers may touch or be a little spaced from the heating element 16 or if desired, the user may firmly press the fingertips against the heating element to secure a greater transference of heat therebetween.

It will accordingly be understood that there has been disclosed an electrically heated mitten which is capable of providing heat solely to a sensitive portion of the user's hand, specifically the portion is the fingertips and the heating element is located to engage only the fingertips. By having such a localized heat even a small size battery 26 will provide heat over a substantial period before becoming discharged. Moreover, as the heat is applied only to the tip portions of the fingers, the maximum utilization of the power in the battery 26 is achieved in obtaining physiological benefits to a user.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. An electrically heated mitten including a front part adapted to cover the inside of a user's hand, said front part having an inner portion adapted to normally engage the tip portions of the users fingers, a heating element means including an electrical resistance ribbon secured on said portion and adapted to engage the user's fingertip portions, said heating element means is secured on the front part to position the ribbon to cover a curved path at the fingertips, a battery carrying pouch and means electrically connecting the pouch to the rib- -bon whereby electricity may be conducted from a low voltage battery cell in the pouch to the ribbon to effect supplying heat to the users finger, the resistance ribbon only extends on the inner portion to only normally be engageable by the fingertip portions of the user to supply heat to the front extremities of the finger,

the mitten includes a wrist portion having a back portion in which the battery-carrying pouch is'secured on the wrist back portion and in which the electrical connecting means includes a pair of wires extending from the ribbon to the battery cell in the pouch.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the mitten includes a back part, in which the heating element includes a fabric tape overlying the ribbon, said tape extending from the ribbon along the back part of the mitten to adjacent the pouch, stitching means securing the edge portions of the tape to the mitten to form a channel and in which the wires are positioned in the channel underneath the tape. 

1. An electrically heated mitten including a front part adapted to cover the inside of a user''s hand, said front part having an inner portion adapted to normally engage the tip portions of the user''s fingers, a heating elEment means including an electrical resistance ribbon secured on said portion and adapted to engage the user''s fingertip portions, said heating element means is secured on the front part to position the ribbon to cover a curved path at the fingertips, a battery carrying pouch and means electrically connecting the pouch to the ribbon whereby electricity may be conducted from a low voltage battery cell in the pouch to the ribbon to effect supplying heat to the user''s finger, the resistance ribbon only extends on the inner portion to only normally be engageable by the fingertip portions of the user to supply heat to the front extremities of the finger, the mitten includes a wrist portion having a back portion in which the battery-carrying pouch is secured on the wrist back portion and in which the electrical connecting means includes a pair of wires extending from the ribbon to the battery cell in the pouch.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the mitten includes a back part, in which the heating element includes a fabric tape overlying the ribbon, said tape extending from the ribbon along the back part of the mitten to adjacent the pouch, stitching means securing the edge portions of the tape to the mitten to form a channel and in which the wires are positioned in the channel underneath the tape. 